


Hungry Like the Wolf

by pennysparkle



Category: Borderlands
Genre: Breathplay, Cunnilingus, Dom/sub Undertones, F/F, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-08
Updated: 2016-02-08
Packaged: 2018-05-19 05:12:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5954878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pennysparkle/pseuds/pennysparkle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"She was hitting on you, y'know," Nisha said, hours and hours later when they had finally gotten settled for the night. One would have thought Jack could have set them up somewhere with four walls and a decently comfortable bed, but Athena figured this wasn't the worst place she'd ever had to sleep. At least they had bedrolls. At least there was gravity and shelter, for variations on the word.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hungry Like the Wolf

"She was hitting on you, y'know," Nisha said, hours and hours later when they had finally gotten settled for the night. One would have thought Jack could have set them up somewhere with four walls and a decently comfortable bed, but Athena figured this wasn't the _worst_ place she'd ever had to sleep. At least they had bedrolls. At least there was gravity and shelter, for variations on the word.

She exhaled softly, turning onto her side. At times, she kind of wondered if this was what sleepovers were like—the real ones, not the ones that featured heavily made-up, barely-legal girls on the ECHOnet wearing skimpy clothes, talking stiltedly and embarrassingly about boys, and then, with a hand laid upon a perfectly-shaved, perfectly-tanned thigh, about _girls_. Not that Athena wanted to think of that kind of thing right now. Not that she wanted to admit to having seen her fair share of it, either, in rotating fits of curiosity and subsequent shame.

But really—this was what it was supposed to be like, wasn't it? Or at least, she liked to _think_ this was what it was supposed to be like: the relative silence until Nisha whispered something in the silent darkness of the night, and then Athena would surprise herself by laughing a little, a giddy feeling of wonder, that this might be something like friendship. She didn't know Nisha all that well in the conventional ways, but she knew the weight of her against her back in the middle of a fight, and the way she tapped the steering wheel with her nails in a moon buggy, and she knew all the odd little things that would make Nisha laugh. In the end, that could teach you a whole hell of a lot about a person. Enough that Athena thought she could guess where this conversation was headed.

"I know," she said. "She might not be as perverse about it as you and Jack, but I received the message loud and clear."

"Really?" asked Nisha, and her sharp grin was so bright it almost cut through the night. It made Athena shiver, much as she hated to admit it. Nisha was good-looking, and dangerous, and somehow that combination had an effect on Athena that was best kept secret, between her and the delirious thoughts she had when she was too tired to force them away. "Hey, don't knock it 'till you try it. Or are you having _that_ much fun with the stick up your ass?"

Athena remained silent. It wouldn't do any good to goad her on.

"Anyway," continued Nisha, as if she really didn't notice or care that Athena wasn't indulging her, because chances were, she didn't. "Are you gonna try it with her?"

"Try what, exactly?"

" _You know_." A pause, for her cruelly amused laugh. "Bump nasties. Enter the forbidden chamber. Release the beast?"

Athena doubted these were euphemisms for anything at all, but her lips turned up in the tiniest smile all the same. It was hard not to laugh when Nisha was laughing. "Releasing the beast sounds like the exact opposite of something you'd want to do in a time like that."

"You're dodging the question."

"I'm not sure," Athena sighed, because against all odds, there was something about Nisha that made Athena want to give her what she wanted. It was easier in the long run, though not necessarily as fun as the chase.

But this whole mess was complicated to the point that she wouldn't have been able to talk about it even if she wanted to. Someone like _Janey_ —what did she have to give her? What could Athena possibly have that was worth something to Janey, besides what it was that she thought she saw in her face for the scant few moments of exchanged help. Whatever it was Janey _thought_ she saw, Athena was different, and not in a good way. People like her were better left uninvolved.

She couldn't say something like that, though. No one wanted this to be a pity party less than Athena. "She's nice," she eventually relented with, because it was the truth.

"She's _nice_ ," repeated Nisha. In the darkness, she shuffled a little closer, her body heat invading Athena's space in an all-too-welcome way. What could she really say? Nisha represented something that Janey didn't, something untarnishable, unable to be ruined, or at least Athena would never be able to do it. That made her safe enough to want.

"As I said." Somehow she managed to keep her voice from trembling, which was absurd to her. All it took was a girl who smiled a little too cruelly, who was a little too alluring for comfort, and she spilled her composure everywhere.

"She's nice," Nisha said one more time. Athena was holding her breath, aware somehow that Nisha was close to her, but it wasn't until her hand curled over her shoulder and her leg swung over her hip to sit there that Athena realized just _how_ close she'd been. "But she's not your type, is that right?"

Athena didn't say anything. The question caught her off guard; did she even have a type? Sometimes it was hard to tell. But Nisha beside her, revolver in hand, grinning and cracking jokes and talking about how badly she wanted her hands wrapped around someone's throat—well, that was hard to ignore. Maybe she didn't have a type, but Nisha came pretty damn close to whatever it was that she wanted. Something mean, something harder than Athena, so she couldn't prick her with her own thorns. She drew in a sharp, halfway-strangled breath, like Nisha's hands were pressing down on her right now, and nodded a little.

"What's your type, baby?" Nisha asked, and it should have been corny—it should have made Athena sneer and turn away, but she just lifted her hips a little, feeling the heat of Nisha's body through the thin shorts she wore underneath her uniform. It was hypnotic; she shouldn't have liked it as much as she did, but there was something foreboding and perfect about Nisha, and she sought it like a moth to a flame. She reached out, wrapping her hands around her hips, the soft curve of her waist fitting perfectly into Athena's worn hands, warm and smooth underneath her fingertips, but not at all delicate. There was muscle there, firm and hard. At times it became utterly clear that there wasn't any way to hurt Nisha; every inch of her dark skin was stronger than the armor Athena wore, hewn perfectly to keep everything at a careful distance. Even the things she wanted were held at gunpoint in a warning of consequence.

 _She_ was Athena's type. And at times it made her feel a little nauseous, a little guilty for the sake of herself, because shouldn't she have detached herself just enough that she wouldn't be falling for a girl who was so far out of her league? Not like she ever planned to make a move anyway, but all the same.

Now she swallowed nervously, eyes glancing to the side, staring into the darkness as Nisha leaned a little closer. She hadn't spoken a word just yet, and her breath caught in her throat, a choked little wheeze when she exhaled.

"Is it me?" Nisha asked, voice low and intimate, her top drooping to allow Athena a glimpse underneath, which she guiltily took. She didn't really have big breasts, but the way light fell in a sliver over her body, Athena could see that whatever size they lacked in, they were nice—almost cute, perky with dark nipples and a scar that crossed over the top of one.

Then her eyes lifted, and Nisha was grinning down at her, so smug, knowing that she'd caught Athena right under her thumb. Right where she wanted her. "It is, isn't it?" she asked.

Silently, Athena nodded. This was a game to Nisha, after all, and she wasn't going to be happy until she got to play it. But that didn't mean Athena had to be some long-suffering participant, either. She rolled them over quickly, until Nisha was sprawled out underneath her, that lazy, smug grin still on her face as she looked up at her. Athena didn't know why there was such a softness in her chest as she looked at Nisha's short hair spilling wildly around her face, but it made her uncomfortable, so she curled her fingers through it instead.

"Oh? You're the hair-pulling type? And here I was thinking you'd be all _vanilla_ ," Nisha taunted, her hands reaching up to rest at the dip of Athena's collarbones, thumbs laying warm against her pulse. "But I should have known better, shouldn't I? Your face wasn't getting all red every time I made jokes about shit like this because you were _embarrassed_..."

She pressed down lightly, until Athena's pulse jumped excitedly against the tips of her fingers, not quite cutting off her air. It didn't seem to be the intention, anyway.

"It was because you _liked_ it," Nisha murmured, her nails scraping fast and rough against Athena's skin as she drew them down. They'd leave red tracks behind on the pale, untouched swath of her throat and chest, a mark that'd be covered up when she got up and dressed tomorrow. She very nearly protested.

But in that short moment of distraction, Nisha managed to wrangle the upper hand and topple Athena onto her back, then landed hard enough on her hips to force a breath from her. She found herself fragile and exposed again, sprawled out with Nisha like a wolf atop her, fangs bared, claws ready, her breath hot and bright on the cold night air. Athena shivered. Always and forever, she was the predator seeking out prey to put down, but in this moment, it was more than a nagging feeling that she was staring down someone who could do much, much worse to her than she could do to them.

"You should've said something sooner, baby." The endearment rang sharp, not very endearing at all, except that it made something surge in Athena, made her feel trapped and happy about it. Nisha had effectively caged her in the warmth of her hands and the flash of her dark eyes, and she'd made her hold her breath for it too, eager to find out what Nisha would do next.

"I could have given you the ride of your life a little sooner," Nisha whispered, her fingers skittering ticklishly around the side of her neck until she could press down lightly, and her thigh was nudged between Athena's legs, pressing against her cunt with her shorts and underwear as the only barrier. It made her moan, head falling back against the ground, which was only barely cushioned by her bedroll.

Nisha grinned. "This is what you want, right? Someone to take control?"

"Not in those words," Athena replied breathily, with some effort. This wasn't so sordid or sinister—she just had a thing. That was all. She needed to be the one that wasn't destroying, just for a little while. "Just... get on with it."

Nisha hummed, a pleasant enough sound, but then she was pushing Athena's shirt up until her skin was exposed to the cold air, pricked with goosebumps within seconds. It made her shudder fitfully, then even more as Nisha's nails dragged over the tender rise of her breasts. Her thumbs and forefingers pinched at her nipples for just a second, just enough to make Athena's back arch up off the bedroll, and then she was sliding away again.

"Tell me if I get too rough, baby," Nisha said, cut through with Athena's own sigh as Nisha tugged at the waistband of her shorts. She was so close to the throbbing heat between Athena's squeezed-together thighs, and the anticipation was driving her up the wall. Only Nisha just grinned, the same as she always did. "Then again, I don't feel like that's going to be a problem, between you and me."

Her fingertips pressed between Athena's folds without warning, and Athena made a noise like she'd been punched in the gut, her whole body snapped up against Nisha's hand. She rubbed against Athena's clit only slowly, knowing that she was teasing and enjoying it. Control was something given to Nisha like a birthright, and she wasn't going to give it up right now—dangling it over Athena like she'd snatched it and wanted her to _know_ it.

"Stop... _teasing_ ," Athena gritted out, her legs twitching together as Nisha's touch became even more gentle. It was futile, but she reached down to grab at Nisha's wrist, and for what? To push her away so she could do it herself? No—she'd waited too long; there wasn't any turning back now, and she nudged Nisha's hand down, gasping as she pressed too hard and just right against her clit.

"Oh, come on... don't spoil my fun." Nisha pouted exaggeratedly down at her as her other hand came up to close around Athena's throat. It was small, but it wasn't delicate in the least—rough from being wrapped around her gun and strong, besides. When her fingers dug in around the sides of her neck, Athena went silent and limp like an act of submission, her hips straining as Nisha teased a little more, idly circling her clit and hinting at pushing a couple fingers inside her.

"Get on with it." The demand was raspy, barely audible. It cut off completely when Nisha pushed down a little harder.

"Hey, I'm doing you a favor here. And not even asking for anything in _return_. Do you have any idea what a bargain that is?" Nisha shifted her weight, sitting back on her haunches, still holding onto Athena's neck. In a move that was more fluid and oddly attractive than it had any right being, she dipped down, her chin resting against the inside of Athena's thigh as she looked up at her. "Don't worry. You can pay me back later."

And then her mouth was on Athena, hot and insidious, tongue circling her clit. Her eyes were as sharp as every other thing about her, watching Athena's every reaction, and she grinned when she felt the vibration of a moan beneath the thin skin of her throat, fingers pressing down so sweetly until Athena went fuzzy.

Saying that she'd never felt anything like this would be a massive understatement, so she didn't even think it. But each inch of her thrilled at the new touch, lighting her skin up like live wire, and she sighed when Nisha pushed two fingers inside of her finally, then gave a louder, choked moan when she sucked at her clit. There was a tension inside of her, drawn thin like it might snap at any second, but she was trying so hard to hold back. It wasn't an easy feat when Nisha's fingers were thrusting into her, just as rough as she wanted, her mouth warm and insistent as she coaxed her tongue over and around Athena's clit.

She ached. Every inch of her felt hot and too close to snapping, and she was so close to the edge, but Nisha would back her away from it every so often. She said, _this is all on my time_ with her movements. _I'm calling the shots_. And Athena had entrusted her with that, but it didn't mean she couldn't be frustrated to the point of agony, a short whimper pressed out beneath the strength of Nisha's hand.

"You want it, don't you?" Nisha asked, and Athena almost tried to complain about how when she was talking, that meant she wasn't eating her out—but even with Nisha, you caught more leniency with honey than with vinegar, so she nodded.

It wouldn't take her long. She'd known that from the start, already turned on and frustrated besides, and Nisha was too good at playing her. One more press of her tongue, her fingers pushing up into her, a squeeze of her throat, and Athena keened as she came, her whole body arced toward Nisha's mouth. It was almost painful in the way that forcing a dislocated limb back into place was painful—one quick rush, a searing ache, and then, blessedly, relief.

Athena sighed as Nisha eased her through the aftershocks, her mouth soft and slow, hand dropping away from Athena's throat. Until the point where it became too much and Athena started to struggle, she licked at her, and then she sat up, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. She looked down at Athena like the cat who'd just gotten the cream, wicked and pleased, and spoke. "I'm not the type to cuddle. Just remember you owe me, okay?"

Athena nodded wordlessly. That had been more than enough for her—almost more than she could handle, except that Nisha had everything tightly under control and had never taken it too far for Athena's tastes. She slumped back into her bedroll, whole body trembling just a little, and tried to catch her breath in an inconspicuous manner. It wasn't really working.

Silence fell between them the way it always did at night, but it wasn't particularly awkward. They got up to their own devices most of the time, Nisha cleaning her gun in bed, Athena checking her shield for nicks and scrapes that would need to be buffed out. At some point, one or the other of them would turn in for the night, and that was what was probably happening now, Nisha covered up beside her and probably drifting off to sleep, or else just thinking in silence. That could be unnerving at times; in the beginning, Athena always thought she was plotting something, but it seemed more like she was sorting her thoughts out after a long day—some kind of calming mechanism that would see her off safely to sleep.

"You should give her a try," Nisha said instead, after several minutes had passed. "She seems nice, I guess. People like you two deserve to go off and be disgustingly cute together."

Athena didn't reply. Nisha wouldn't understand it—she'd find it a negligible detail that Athena couldn't just exist in someone's life so easily. Janey didn't deserve that. Where Athena calculated everything and followed her own rules, Nisha was a wild card, dangerous and unpredictable. She guessed, in the end, that was what she liked most about her.

"Nice to have your blessing," she said neutrally.

Nisha laughed. "Well I'm not going to be around to take care of you _always_. After all this is over, I'll be breaking off a fine piece of Hyperion programmer."

Smiling, Athena shook her head and nestled deeper into her bedroll. There was a hole in it, letting in the cold, and she shivered once more. She felt like she was doing a lot of that lately; the moon was unexpectedly freezing even though she'd _expected_ it to be cold, but this was a step above.

There was rustling, and then Nisha was pressed up beside her, flinging her blanket over Athena and slipping one warm leg over her waist. They were so close, and it was enough for now. Maybe not forever—but just long enough to let her work up the courage to try something new when all of this was over and done with.

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr!](http://bunansa.tumblr.com)


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